Welcome to the Hello Charlie blog. This is where you'll find loads of information to help you live a sustainable life, no matter where you are on your journey. We've got ideas on how to reduce your impact; how to go zero waste and plastic free; tips and tricks on how to use products you've already got; how to reduce toxins in your home, and heaps more. And of course, you'll want to check out our famous Cheat Sheets!
Eco Home
Apr 1, 2022
Sustainable Toilet Paper: Why You Should Give a Crap
Toilet paper is something that we use every day. And most people don't give it a second thought. But there are a lot ...
Mar 9, 2022
Natural Soapberries: 6 Easy And Effective Ways To Use Them
Berries aren’t something that you might associate with soap. But soapberries are fruits that grow on the Sapindus Muk...
Feb 7, 2022
How to Compost Food Scraps at Home – 6 Easy Tips
Each year, Australia wastes 7.6 million tonnes of food across the supply and consumption chain. That's equivalent to ...
Latest Cheat Sheets
Jul 5, 2021
Best Natural Baby Lotion - Cheat Sheet
First published 17 July 2015, updated again June 2021
Baby skin - it's so soft and so smooth that you just want to ta...
Jun 10, 2021
Disposable Nappies: A Hello Charlie Cheat Sheet
Let's face it - it's hard to know what's even in a disposable nappy, let alone the questions you should be asking to ...
May 28, 2021
Best Natural Baby Wipes - Cheat Sheet
When you’ve got a baby, you use a lot of baby wipes. Think about how many nappy changes you do each day! And every ti...
Recipes
Cooking with Kids: Easy Recipes to Make for Dinner
Cooking with kids? Easy recipes for dinner will get them in the kitchen with you, and polishing off everything on the...
15 Healthy and Delicious Protein Ball Recipes
A couple of months back, my eldest son was really ill. He was in bed for three weeks with a virus, and one of the thi...
15 Healthy, Tasty Spring Salad Ideas The Whole Family Will Love
I love Spring! Here in Melbourne, the weather is warming up, daylight savings has just started and a whole new array ...
Eco Baby & Kids
Apr 28, 2022
Educational Toys - How to Develop Baby's Cause and Effect Skills
Want to buy educational toys for your baby? Have a look at Hello Charlie’s guide to eco toys that help your baby develop essential cause & effect skills.
Apr 27, 2022
Educational Toys - Develop Baby's Auditory Skills
Looking for educational toys for your baby? Have a look at Hello Charlie’s guide to the best eco toys to help your baby develop essential auditory skills.
Jan 31, 2022
Top 10 Open Ended Toys For Imaginative Play
Open ended toys are so good for kids. These kind of toys have been described as 90% child and 10% toy because the chi...
Body & Beauty
Apr 5, 2022
How to wash off zinc oxide sunscreen from your face, body and more!
I had a question from a reader about how to wash off zinc oxide sunscreen. Now, zinc is a great ingredient for sunscr...
Jan 17, 2022
Why Spray Sunscreens Are Bad For You and The Planet
You’ve likely come across spray sunscreens when looking for sun protection. They’re fast and seem easier to apply. Pl...
Sep 3, 2020
All About Ethique - The Zero Waste Beauty Brand
Ethique is a New Zealand beauty brand founded by biologist Brianne West in 2012. Ethique is a zero waste company that...
Chemical Info
Jul 10, 2020
Fluoride Toothpaste Smackdown - Natural vs Mainstream
We know that fluoride can be controversial. But if you want fluoride in toothpaste, does that mean that you have to ...
Mar 13, 2019
Toothpaste Toxins: Toothpaste Ingredients To Avoid
You brush your teeth twice a day, and spit out the toothpaste. And because you spit it out, it doesn't matter whethe...
Oct 9, 2018
Toxic Chemicals: What to Avoid When Pregnant
When you’re researching how to have a healthy pregnancy you’ll probably see a lot of scary stuff. Unfortunately there...